Message from Dean Brett Peters

This seems to be a year full of changes and surprises. The Cubs won the World Series. It was 77°F in Milwaukee on November 1. And the struggles of higher education continue making the news…

…but things remain good in UWM’s College of Engineering & Applied Science. Student and industry demand for our programs and graduates remains strong. Our new biomedical program has enrolled 33 students in its first semester. Research initiatives in the college continue propelling knowledge creation and economic growth.

It shouldn’t be a surprise. Our faculty, staff, students and alumni have a history of being hard-working and committed to the university’s mission of research and education in ways that have bettered our local, state, and national communities. This is not to say we’ve always been traditional.

Even our name has a history of being non-traditional. At its creation, our new college was named The College of Applied Science and Engineering –a departure from the more traditional program offered by the College of Engineering in Madison. You can read about that in the writings of the UWM’s first chancellor, J. Martin Klotsche, in his book: “The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, an Urban University.”

At that time — when UWM was forming its non-traditional campus and charged with ensuring that its new programs would offer something unique to Wisconsin and the Milwaukee community — the College of Applied Science and Engineering came up with a solution. It would do things different. It would focus on preparing graduates to serve industry needs. It would focus on meaningful and significant research of many forms. Today, the College, with a revised name, still excels in these activities in support of UWM’s mission as the urban, R1 research university in WI.

In this season of joy and gratitude when we celebrate traditions and new beginnings, I am grateful to all of those who have helped make our college a success over the years. Through traditional and non-traditional ways of thinking, together we have advanced our deep-rooted mission to serve students and the region and become a vibrant source of innovation and inspiration to our community.

I hope you enjoy many of the holiday celebrations the season offers. Best wishes for a relaxing and renewing holiday and a joyous and prosperous new year.